Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday and was able to celebrate with friends and family and have some valuable down time. We loved all the storms and sunsets we experienced in Big Sur this year, and the fact that back in Marin, our reservoirs are once again almost full. We also joined some neighbors for the fun ritual of burning our trees on the beach -- a wonderful way to say goodbye to the past year, and welcome in the new!
Typically right now, I would be on my way to Davos, Switzerland for a week of incredible wine events at the WEF. But, as that has been cancelled once again, I find myself in a position to eat as healthily as possible rather than the delicious Swiss fondue and Gschnaezeltes that I usually tuck into this time of year. My personal goal is to cut out bread and processed sugar for the month of January, and while I find it takes extraordinary will power to eat homemade soup without a large hunk of crusty bread to wipe clean my bowl, I have so far prevailed.
I know I’m not the only one using this time to cleans and reset. With all the buzz around “Dry January”, I thought I would take a slightly different slant on this theme and recommend some of the wonderful dry wines I'm enjoying this month.
Landron Muscadet Sevre et Maine La Louvetrie 2019 ($19). Landron’s wines always stand out to me for their scintillating minerality. A lovely hint of lime, guava and lemon gives this bone-dry wine a wonderful evocative lilt. In my healthy efforts this month, it slipped down wonderfully with some tuna carpaccio and capers.
For this next wine, we are running a competition for who can pronounce the name:
‘Txakolina Getariako’ Finca Jakue 2020 ($18) is from the tiny Basque winery Talai Berri. Just southwest of the famed food city of San Sebastian, the steep vineyards that edge the Atlantic coast create this superbly zesty and invigorating wine from the two local grapes, Hondarabbi Zuri and Hondarabbi Beltza. Almost a little spritzy, like a sophisticated vinho verde, this is a wine that lifts the spirits. With green pear flesh, pear blossom, and hints of salty breezes, it is great with any seafood, especially calamari.
Finally, for the red, we’re off to Tuscany, which is known for its Sangiovese-based dry red wines.
Fabio Motta Sangiovese Lo Scudiere 2018 ($32) is now available in the new vintage. Wonderful bright red cherry fruit, knitted together with smooth tannins, courtesy of the clay and sandstone lying under the vineyards. Give it a little air to come around before you dive in and it will be a treat. This is a great wine to compliment your Paleo fare: ragu, steak, boar sausages… you get the idea.
Well, hopefully that helps you on your way. I feel healthier already!